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Ageless Wonder LeBeau Going Strong At 71

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By MARTIN FENNELLY

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 30, 2009

TAMPA - Someone asked 71-year-old Dick LeBeau what it felt like to be the oldest coach in the NFL.

"There's something to be said about being the oldest," LeBeau said, eyes twinkling. "It sure beats the heck out of the alternative."

We come to praise Dick LeBeau, not bury him.

How old is Dick LeBeau? He broke into the NFL the year after the Colts and Giants did overtime in 1958.

How young is Dick LeBeau? He still writes poetry and still strums his six-string guitar until he makes a song or two.

How old? Someone at this Super Bowl asked LeBeau, Pittsburgh's defensive coordinator, about the greatest players of his playing days. "Oh, that's hard to pick one," he said. "Jimmy Brown, he'd be one. Paul Warfield was great. Gale Sayers was tremendous. Otto Graham, Y.A. Tittle, Johnny Unitas, Raymond Berry ..."

How young? The Pittsburgh Steelers defense, the roughest, toughest crew in football, wipes away tears like they're figure skaters every December as jolly St. Dick recites "The Night Before Christmas."

The what before what?

"He's young at heart," Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said.

How old? "We're talking 50 years here," LeBeau said. Fifty years in pro football - 14 as a star cornerback for the Detroit Lions and 36 and counting as a coach. This Sunday, we're counting with Roman numerals.

How young? Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley and the rest of the NFL's top-ranked defense will look over during practice and there's LeBeau, that ageless gem, doing pushups.

The Ballad of Dick LeBeau lives on.

"I've always gone one year at a time," LeBeau said. "I always feel players and management will let me know when it's time to get out of the way. Our players have played fairly well this year for us, I haven't heard that they don't want me to come back and I haven't heard from Coach Mike Tomlin that he doesn't want me to come back. Looks like we're good to go again."

The man made 62 NFL interceptions, a Lions record, and played in 171 consecutive games at cornerback, a league record. He's known as the father of the "zone blitz," but more important, hundreds of players treat him like their dad.

"We love the man," Polamalu said.

The Ballad of Dick LeBeau begins with a country boy from Ohio gone to play for Woody Hayes at the state university in Columbus. It strums its way to Detroit, where LeBeau shared a backfield with Dick "Night Train" Lane and later Lem Barney. They're both in the Hall of Fame. LeBeau isn't.

"Dick was a phenomenal player," Barney said. "I was his apprentice my first six years in the league. Why he's not in the Hall of Fame is one of life's mysteries. I learned so much from him. He taught me about route recognition, what coordinators were trying to do. Dick was a coach on the field. I can still hear his voice when the offense broke the huddle. 'Don't let them get deep on you, kid,' he'd say. Dick calls me 'kid' to this day."

There's more.

"I can still picture him sitting there in the locker room, playing his guitar," Barney said. "He was just a free guy, man. Had a good voice, too. He was a humble brother, I tell you."

How young? Young enough to connect as a teacher. "I could barely walk before he got here," Polamalu said. How young? He's never too old for new ideas. In the '90s, offenses were flourishing. LeBeau devised an answer, an unpredictable pass rush and coverage - the "fire zone," or zone blitz. Now he sees the fire spread to high school games.

"It's a great compliment. You have an idea, and you know it's a little far off the diving board," LeBeau said. "Sometimes, we flat sank with some of our ideas, but sometimes you go, 'You know, this works.' You call me the father of the zone blitz. The players call me the grandfather of the zone blitz. But, still, I'm in the family."

Speaking of family, last season the Steelers played in the Hall of Fame Game, and to show their support for their beloved coach, the defense wore throwback No. 44 Dick LeBeau jerseys. "He should be in the Hall," Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said. He is already in their hearts.

Here's one more reason: About 20 years ago LeBeau got the holiday idea of reciting "The Night Before Christmas" to his guys. LeBeau does it from memory and changes characters and voices. Picture a 260-pound linebacker reaching for Kleenex instead of Tom Brady's throat. That's what Dick LeBeau does to grown men.

"You'll have guys crying, hugging each other," Keisel said. "Dick gets you every time."

And that, children, is the Ballad of Dick LeBeau.

And to all a good night.

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